


gold rush

by gsales



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson Fluff, F/M, Roman Percy Jackson, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28186551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gsales/pseuds/gsales
Summary: "Annabeth", he repeated, while writing. "Could you tell me why exactly would I have seaweed in my head?"orau where percy is a roman demigod and annabeth is greek, and they meet in a coffeeshop when she moves to california for college
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 33
Kudos: 184





	1. waters so inviting I almost jump in

**Author's Note:**

> hey, everyone!  
> so, I haven't written anything for a loooong time, but I've been re-reading the pjo and hoo books so I got involved with the fandom all over again, and also remembered how much I like percabeth.  
> also, I'm listening to taylor swift's new album, evermore, 24/7 and I was very inspired by it.  
> so, I got the idea to write some short stories inspired on the songs, but I don't know exactly how many or if there'll be more than one, really,
> 
> this one was inspired by the song gold rush.  
> it was meant to be a one shot, but it's very late here and a don't know, I thought I would develop it better.
> 
> either way, it'll either be something short, like three to five chapters, or I'll edit it later and make it a one-shot as I first imagined.
> 
> but I felt like sharing it already.
> 
> I hope you like it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, uh...", she realized he stood with a notepad and a pen, as if waiting for her to say her name to complete not only his sentence, but also her order. 
> 
> "Annabeth", she offered. 
> 
> "Annabeth", he repeated, while writing. "Could you tell me why exactly would I have seaweed in my head?" 

_gleaming_   
_twinkling_   
_eyes like sinking ships_   
_on **waters so inviting**_   
**_i almost jump in_ **

Annabeth hadn't expected California to have such a weird weather. Sure, she'd always heard all that stuff about the state being sunny and everything, but the actual problem was that the climate was so instable she was actually scared that something might be wrong. Of course, when you're a demigod, everything makes you afraid that something might be wrong, but that's not the point. The constant summerlike feeling of San Francisco felt weird, and she didn't think that, of all things, the weather would be the most difficult thing to adapt when moving from New York to the other side of the country, especially when being next to Mount Tamalpais, a place traditionally feared by heroes. 

Still, there she was, coming back from college, and her greatest regret of the day was the fact that she'd trusted the blue sky and shining sun outside her window when she woke up. Now, all her clothes were starting to get wet and she was running through the street, trying to find someplace to shelter from the rain that literally had shown no signs of falling two minutes ago. 

She spotted a small coffee shop at a narrow street besides her that she never noticed before, and figured she might as well sit down for a cup of cappuccino and wait for the rain to pass. She entered the store and stood behind a couple and an old lady in line, waiting for her turn. Her jeans and Eagles T-shirt were mildly wet and, for the hundredth time in the last five minutes, she wished she had brought a jacket. 

"Hey", a deep voice startled her. She hadn't even realized she was so absorbed in her thoughts until this moment, when the barista called her and she noticed it was already her turn to order. When she looked at him, she felt some kind of shiver down her spine and stood quiet for a moment. 

It's not like she had never seen or talked to hot guys before. She knew the feeling, as well as how to deal with it. Mostly, she wasn't very affected by the looks of random guys, or anyone, really. She wasn't easily impressed, since she'd already seen all sorts of weird stuff, and all sorts of beautiful things, people, and even gods. 

But the guy made her lose a breath, and she couldn't quite explain why. He wasn't hot in that obvious way that made most Aphrodite kids go "oh-my-gods-please-kiss-me", but he was handsome, with a lean and muscular figure and black hair standing carelessly around his face. Nonetheless, what caught Annabeth's breathe were his eyes. They were a deep shade of green that made her feel she could be staring directly into the ocean. And there was something about them, something deep and familiar that... 

"So", he raised an eyebrow and she realized she'd been staring, and silent for too long. "Can I get you something?" 

She got closer and tried to look away from his eyes, registering the surroundings and gathering information. 

"Uh, sorry", she said. "I got lost on my thoughts." 

"No problem." She realized he had a slight smile and resisted the urge to roll her eyes or even punch him in the face. Snob. 

She took a quick look at the menu in the counter and asked for a medium cappuccino and a cookie. 

"Are you eating here or you want them to go?" he asked. She looked at the raindrops sliding through the windows glasses and couldn't help but think this was a very stupid question. 

"What do you think, Seaweed Brain?", she blurted out. She didn't know where that had come from, but the thought of the sea in his eyes was still in her head and, really, she was tired from the week and pissed at whichever god was being so moody about the weather these days. 

"I'm sorry?", he asked, brows furrowed. He seemed a little offended, and, honestly, Annabeth couldn't blame him. She realized she'd been weird and rude. 

"Oh gods, I... I'll eat here. Waiting for the rain to pass, you know." 

He nodded and typed a few things, telling her the price and accepting her credit card. As he gave her the machine for her to type the password, she noticed a strange tattoo on his forearm, with a trident, the letters SPQR and seven stripes. She didn't understand why the symbol of Poseidon and the motto of Rome would be registered together in somebody's flesh, but she realized that maybe for him the meaning was completely different. 

"So, uh...", she realized he stood with a notepad and a pen, as if waiting for her to say her name to complete not only his sentence, but also her order. 

"Annabeth", she offered. 

"Annabeth", he repeated, while writing. "Could you tell me why exactly would I have seaweed in my head?" 

She could feel her cheeks turn red as he handed her the receipt and turned around to prepare her order. The place was empty, except for the people who were in front of her in line, already sipping their coffees on the tables beneath the windows. 

"Oh, I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I just thought it was a little obvious I wasn't going out with my order with this rain. But you were just doing your job, I know. I... didn't mean to say something offensive", she said. _Or out loud_ , she completed, mentally. 

He turned around and offered her coffee and cookie. 

"That's fine, you didn't", he said, with a pleasant smile. "I happen to like all things related to the sea." 

While grabbing her food, she thought she saw him blinking, but it was probably just a flash of light. 


	2. I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The handsome yet mildly annoying barista had nothing to do with her decision to pass by one day to get coffee before class.  
> Either way, she was determined not to do or say anything stupid or embarrassing this time. Evidently, she had way too high hopes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, guys!  
> thanks for the comments and kudos, I'm glad you enjoyed the idea.  
> I've decided I'm gonna do some short chapters for now, then I hope I can end the story with five of them or so.  
> it fits my schedule and quick flashes of inspiration better these days haha
> 
> either way, here's the second chapter.  
> it's very simple, like the first one, but that's what came to my mind.  
> next one I'll probably develop the story more, but the idea is for it to be very simple, really.
> 
> hope you like it!
> 
> see you soon :)

_but I don't like a gold rush, gold rush_

**_I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush_ **

_I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch_

_everybody wants you_

_everybody wonders what it would be like to love you_

The second time Annabeth met the guy with the ocean eyes, she didn’t think she would be shocked again. A few days went by before she visited the coffee shop again. Usually, she hung out at the café next to the library in college, or she would eat at a bakery near her place. She lived only a few blocks away from Berkeley and the coffee shop was right in the middle of the way from the university to her apartment, but between her classes and talking to Chiron and her friends at Camp Half-Blood via Iris messages, she didn’t have much time to explore San Francisco.

Still, she had liked how peaceful the store felt, and the coffee tasted amazing. Also, she was hoping to understand more about why she’d eaten a blue cookie that other day. The handsome yet mildly annoying barista had nothing to do with her decision to pass by one day to get coffee before class.

Either way, she was determined not to do or say anything stupid or embarrassing this time. Evidently, she had way too high hopes.

When she entered the store, she was a little surprised by the movement inside. She shouldn’t have been, since it was 7:30 AM and that’s a time of the day when people usually drink coffee. But the scene was so different from the first time she was there, she was a bit shocked.

She waited in line while people went in and out hastily with their coffees and food. The tables, on the other side, were almost empty, only two or three people sitting calmly while savoring their beverages.

“Good morn-”, the barista greeted her when it was her turn, but she could see her presence caught him off guard. He cleared his throat. “Morning. How can I help?”

Annabeth avoided longing looks at his eyes, not wanting to get stuck by them.

“Hello”, she said. “You don’t happen to sell cronuts here, do you?”

The guy was so shocked by her question, he almost dropped the plate he was holding. One muffin slid through it and almost fell to the ground, but he got it just in time. _Good reflexes_ , she thought, though she didn’t understand why he would be scared of such an inoffensive treat as a cronut.

“I’m sorry, what?”, he asked, clearly shaken and alert.

“Uh… you know. Cronuts. Croissant in the shape of a donut, something like that”, she explained.

“Oh. Yeah, sure”, he seemed to relax, but still held a very confused expression. “I mean- no.”

She rose an eyebrow and he shook his head, sighing and putting the muffins plate on the counter.

“Sorry”, he said. “I thought I heard you say something else. But no, we don’t have those, I’m sorry.”

She tried to figure out what he’d understood of her sentence, but the only word she could think of that sounded a little like cronut was Kronos. That couldn’t be it, could it?

“We have donuts, though. Or blue muffins”, he offered, slightly shaking the muffin he’d kept from falling earlier on his hand. “And a killer caramel latte.”

She smiled.

“Blue muffin it is. And let’s see if you’re right about that latte.”

He smiled too and took her order. Annabeth noticed a middle-aged lady behind the counter, preparing the food and beverage. She had long wavy hair and a kind smile, that seemed to say she’d help you with way more than a cup of coffee if you needed. She was sure the woman wasn’t there the last time, but in the morning the work was hardly to be done by one person alone.

“So, what’s with the blue stuff?”, she asked while paying.

The guy looked at her with a big smile.

“Oh, that’s Sally’s thing”, he said. Just then she registered that the place was named Sally’s, but the guy pointed at the woman besides him with his head. “She likes to send the message that everything is possible, even in the tiniest things, like blue food. Honestly, I find it very comforting.”

He handed her the receipt and stared at her, as if waiting for her to move so he could talk to the next client.

“Wait, you- ” she said. “You didn’t ask for my name.”

“Oh”, he answered with a pretentious smile, but she could see him blushing. “I don’t have to, Annabeth.”

Then, her resolution not to say or do anything embarrassing went down the drain. She wasn’t expecting he would remember _her_ , let alone her name.

She stood there staring at him blankly for a few seconds.

“I’m Percy, by the way”, he said. “In case you’re wondering. Now, as much as I enjoy chatting, I really have other costumers to attend.”


	3. falling feels like flying 'till the bone crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There was something about him she couldn’t quite unriddle, something important that kept running from her reach. Something about his dad, whom he never talked about, and his past, maybe. She wasn’t sure, and that bothered her. Annabeth didn’t like not knowing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!
> 
> here comes one more chapter.
> 
> this one is mostly Annabeth's thoughts. I'm writing very organically, so it's not really intentional, but I think it was important to build the story.
> 
> like I said, I'm writing very short chapters too, it's what's making sense with my routine and inspiration.
> 
> hope you like it!
> 
> ~gabi

_walk past, quick brush_

_I don't like slow motion double vision in rose blush_

_I don't like that **falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush**_

_everybody wants you_

_but I don't like a gold rush_

Sally’s quickly became one of Annabeth’s favorite spots. Except for her house, and maybe the library, by November it was easily the place where she hung out the most. She avoided going there in the mornings, mostly because there were too many people and she enjoyed the quietness of the coffee shop in the afternoons.

Whenever she had to study, or when she’d had a crappy day, or even when she felt like celebrating quietly, she stopped by after class, on her way home. She got used to spending time in a quiet table at the corner of the store, reading or working on projects on her computer. Every now and then, she caught Percy looking at her, or she caught herself distracted, observing him as he talked to the costumers and prepared coffee.

She found it cute the way he was always nice and how he was especially patient and humorous with kids, but she also noticed that his flirtatious comments and glances weren’t that rare. Sometimes, she wondered if he was acting consciously or not. Maybe something in between. He didn’t seem to pay attention to the number of girls and boys who annoyingly approached him with not-so-subtle compliments or pick-up lines, but she knew he was aware of his charming jokes and smiles whenever he found someone actually interesting to talk to.

Whenever she went there, they talked a little when she was making her order or before she left, especially when the place was empty. She found out Sally was actually his mom, and he worked there to help her, along with eventual help from his stepfather, Paul. Even his little sister, Estelle – whom Annabeth even got to meet one afternoon, when Paul brought her back from school – used to come over and try to help around on weekends. This was one of the things that made Annabeth like the place so much, it felt homey and always reminded her of family.

She also got to know that Percy was also from New York, but had moved to San Francisco when he was 12, though he didn’t explain exactly why – something about having trouble with schools. He found it very impressive that she went to Berkeley and had such a clear mind about studying architecture and design. As for him, he said he was pretty lost about what to study, maybe something to do with the sea, like Marine Biology or Oceanography, but he wasn’t sure. “I’m just trying to survive freshman year, for now”, he’d told her, to what she answered: “Aren’t we all?”. She noticed he never said where he went to college, but she didn’t ask.

Either way, she felt like she was maybe making a friend, and talking to him was always fun. Unfortunately, it always had that kind of tension in the air, getting thicker whenever one of them said something more audacious or the conversation got a little more personal. He was very reserved when it came to details about his personal life, she’d noticed. That, she didn’t like.

There was something about him she couldn’t quite unriddle, something important that kept running from her reach. Something about his dad, whom he never talked about, and his past, maybe. She wasn’t sure, and that bothered her. Annabeth didn’t like not knowing.

Besides, every time Annabeth thought about asking him out or trying to settle a more intimate or serious conversation, she restrained herself. She couldn’t tell why exactly, or what, but there was something about him that sounded the alarm in her mind for “danger!”. Worst case scenario, she walked right into a trap and ended up being killed by monsters or higher and more evil forces. Best case, she would have a very complicated situation by getting involved with a regular mortal who had no idea about… well, everything. If she spent more than 3 seconds looking at his eyes, though, all this concerns seemed stupid thoughts on the back of her mind.

One afternoon, she was surprised by his presence in front of her in her usual table. She was so involved with her homework that she didn’t notice him approaching until he stopped in front of her and cleared his throat.

“Oh, hi”, she greeted him with a friendly smile.

He put a plate of freshly baked blue cookies on the table and retributed the smile. “That’s on the house”, he said, the minute she opened her mouth to say she hadn’t ordered anything.

“Percy, you didn’t-”, she stopped and sighed when he stared at her in a way that made it clear he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Thank you.”

She took a bite and enjoyed the sugary and warm taste, closing her eyes for a second. The cookies were her favorite food from Sally’s, and she wondered if Percy had registered that. She noticed he was smiling and blushed a little, looking away.

“Mind if I seat?”, he asked.

“Oh, sure”, she put aside some papers and pens that were on the table as he sat across her. “So… What was that for?”

He stared at the table and grabbed a cookie for himself, taking a bite.

“Um… You’ve been here for hours already and haven’t eaten anything. Besides, I know that these are your favorite”.

“What? What time is it?”, she asked, startled.

“Something ‘round 8 PM”, he answered, laughing at her shocked expression.

She looked around and noticed there wasn’t anyone else in the store. Through the window, the sky was dark already. She hadn’t even seen the sun going down.

“Shit.”, she looked at him, apologetically. “I should go home before it gets too late.”

“You’ll walk home?”

“Well, yeah-“

“I can give you a ride, if you want. I’ll be closing up soon”, he offered.

“Oh, you don’t have to. Really.”

“It’s no big deal. I insist”, he looked at her with those deep, attractive eyes, and she couldn’t say no.

“Ok”, she said, finally. “I’ll help you close.”


	4. what must it be like to grow up that beautiful?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth smiled back at her, but it faded a little when she saw the look on the other girl’s eyes. If they were a cartoon, she was sure there would be thin red scanner lights coming out of them as she analyzed her. Annabeth wondered if maybe she looked at people that way too, sometimes.
> 
> “Oh, I see. Annabeth. Nice finally meeting you”, she said, offering a hand. Annabeth was stunned when she noticed the tattoo on her forearm, very similar to Percy’s. Instead of the trident, there was a symbol she didn’t know, and nine stripes, instead of seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> merry Christmas everyone!
> 
> hope you're having a nice time these holidays :)
> 
> anyway, here's the third chapter. thanks for all kudos
> 
> it came out very different from what I'd thought when I started writing, it's funny how the ideas come to mind suddenly.
> 
> it feels good writing more independently haha
> 
> hope you like it!
> 
> ~gabi

**_what must it be like_ **

**_to grow up that beautiful?_ **

_with your hair falling into place like dominos_

One day, Annabeth entered Sally’s and almost thought she walked into the wrong place. Instead of Percy, she found a girl with dark hair and fierce eyes behind the counter, organizing some cups. With a single look, she could tell the girl was the kind of person that liked to get things done in the most practical way possible. That probably meant she would be polite, yet efficient, and surely not at all willing to spend several minutes of her valuable time making small talk. If it weren’t for Sally washing some dishes behind the girl, she would definitely double check the location.

Annabeth felt a hint of disappointment. She was hoping to share some details about a project presentation that had gone incredibly well with Percy. For the last month, she’d been working hard on it, and he had somehow been with her along the way. She spent increasingly more time at the coffee shop, too concentrated on what she was doing to notice the sun going down. With that, they kind of made a habit of him giving her a ride home after she helped him arrange everything and close.

They grew closer together, talking about their lives and their days in college, sharing thoughts on people and details about their studies. With the deadline for her midterm project coming up, he would come and bring her coffee and cookies, telling some stupid joke when she seemed too tense. On their rides to her apartment, they talked. He told her about places she had to go in San Francisco, and she told him about her favorite spots in New York, pulling out some nostalgic memories from his childhood. Sometimes, either one of them would let it slip a comment about “having to take” the other somewhere, and they stood silent for a moment, savoring the tension in the air.

She would laugh to herself now when she remembered the first time that he gave her a ride, when she’d kept a slight hold to her knife the whole way there, expecting for something to go wrong or for him to lead her to a trap. That clearly didn’t happen, and, gradually, she let her guard down and allowed herself to enjoy his presence in her life.

So, she couldn’t help but feeling somewhat abandoned when she didn’t find him at the coffee shop that day.

“Good afternoon”, the girl greeted her, politely, but firmly, as she’d imagined. “How can I help you?”

“Oh, hi. I- “, she struggled to recompose herself and not to ask about Percy. “Hm, I guess I’ll have a cookie and a hot chocolate.”

When she spoke, Sally turned around, drying her hands in a towel.

“Oh, Annabeth, dear. How are you?”, she greeted her with the warm smile Annabeth had gotten used to. Sally didn’t stay there every afternoon – mostly she left when Percy came back from college, to pick Estelle up from school –, but the few times Annabeth had met her were enough for her to think of Sally Jackson as one of the most precious people in the world already.

Annabeth smiled back at her, but it faded a little when she saw the look on the other girl’s eyes. If they were a cartoon, she was sure there would be thin red scanner lights coming out of them as she analyzed her. Annabeth wondered if maybe she looked at people that way too, sometimes.

“Oh, I see. Annabeth. Nice finally meeting you”, she said, offering a hand. Annabeth was stunned when she noticed the tattoo on her forearm, very similar to Percy’s. Instead of the trident, there was a symbol she didn’t know, and nine stripes, instead of seven.

She shook her hand, slowly,

“Um, thank you, I think. And you are?”

“I’m Reyna”, the girl said. “Percy’s been talking about you.”

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, but she was sure she couldn’t hide the redness on her cheeks.

“I see”, she said. She remembered the name Reyna vaguely. It had come up in some of her conversations with Percy, but she hadn’t dwelled much on it. But the way the girl’s expression had tightened when she realized who Annabeth was and her protective posture made her think that maybe she should have payed more attention to whatever role Reyna played in Percy’s life.

Reyna got back to registering her order and Annabeth asked: “How much do I owe you?”

Sally stopped her before she could finish her question. “Oh no, that’s on the house, honey.”

She tried to protest, but it was a lost battle.

“So, how’s everyone?”, she asked, as Reyna turned around to prepare her coffee.

“Oh, everything’s fine. Christmas is coming and the kids get… you know, a little too excited.”

“Estelle?”

Sally shook her head. “Oh, no, she’s alright. Percy is the real problem.”

They laughed slightly, but that just raised her curiosity about where he was. She couldn’t restrain herself from asking.

“Uh, where is him, by the way?”

“He’s feeling a little… Indisposed”, Sally said, and, in spite of her smile, Annabeth could sense some worry in her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows.

“Is he alright?”

“Oh, yes, it’s fine. He just didn’t wake up very well today. Maybe he’s just too stressed out from exams and everything.”

Annabeth felt there was something more to it, but she didn’t push.

“Well, I hope he gets better soon”, she said, as Reyna came back with her food. “Send him my regards.”

Before Sally could answer, Reyna did. “I’m sure _that_ will help.”

Annabeth wasn’t sure what she meant, but she didn’t feel like staying there much longer to figure out. She took her coffee and blue cookie, said goodbye and left.


	5. padding 'cross your wooden floors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looked at her again and she could she the worry and stress in his eyes, that were agitated like the ocean before a storm. She’d noticed sooner that he’d came back with a lot of extra weight on his shoulders and a scar on his left arm that seemed pretty recent. Their eyes met again as he answered her.
> 
> “I was gone for two days only. Missed me that much?”
> 
> “You’re way too cocky.”
> 
> “Am I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soo, here's the next chapter!  
> thanks so much for supporting the story, it motivates a lot!  
> this one is a bit longer, but, like I said, I'm just writing what comes to mind and how it feels better.  
> I hope you enjoy it :)
> 
> ~gabi

_I see me **padding 'cross your wooden floors**_

_with my Eagles t-shirt hanging from the door_

“You know, you’re not even supposed to be in here”, Percy told her as she took the rest of his cookie out of his mouth and ate it.

A few seconds before that, she’d told him he wasn’t cleaning the coffee machine properly and pushed him aside, taking over for him. At first, Annabeth was scared that it had really bothered him, but she could sense that his annoyed attitude was only playful. After so many times helping him arrange everything to close the coffee shop, she basically knew how to do everything already. Together, they got the job done somewhat quickly, and enjoyed the opportunity to talk, taste some of the leftovers and tease each other. These were valuable moments of her day, when she could really relax and feel the tension slowly leaving her shoulders.

“Oh, well”, she said, finishing her job and throwing the cloth she’d been using at him. “I’m sorry, but I’m kind of a rule breaker.”

He grabbed the cloth without effort and grimaced. “Now you leave the dirty job for me”, he complained.

With a chuckle, she shrugged and leaned on the counter, as he turned his back on her to wash the cloth. They stood silent for a moment, only the sound of running water and their breaths audible. It was a comfortable silence, and it didn’t need to be filled, but she had somethings on her mind, and it seemed like a good moment to stir the conversation towards the topics she was interested.

After the day she’d met Reyna, this was the first time she spent time with Percy. It took her a few days to show up at Sally’s again, but not because of him. That day, when she’d gotten home, she’d found Thalia standing at her door. At first, she claimed she was just paying a visit, but the truth was she also needed help with a mystery, a monster the hunters were having trouble understanding and fighting. Between that and studying for her midterm exams, she spent the last days hastily going from college to her apartment.

This morning, before leaving, the daughter of Zeus had told her something she couldn’t take out of her mind. “Annabeth”, she said, “Artemis herself asked me to send you a message. I don’t know exactly what this is about, but she told me to remind you somethings are not worth taking the risk for. She mentioned something about a boy”. She hadn’t told Thalia about Percy, mostly because there wasn’t anything to tell. But she was sure this was about him, and it bothered her that the goddess had such knowledge and concern about her personal life.

“So…”, she said, staring at Percy’s back. “I met Reyna.”

She could see him stiffen and freeze for a second.

“Yeah. I know. She told me”, he muttered. Then, the water stopped running and he twisted the cloth he’d been washing, hanging it to dry above the sink.

When he turned to face her and leaned back on the sink, their feet crossed, and she was very aware of the feeling when the side of his shin brushed hers.

“She’s… something”, she said, trying to keep the conversation going.

He smiled. “She sure is.”

Annabeth looked away and faced the coffee machine before she talked again. “Is she your, uh, girlfriend or something?”

She wasn’t sure what she hoped his expression would be, but the way he laughed easily made her heart feel lighter on her chest, and she met his gaze with her eyes again. In spite of his primer reaction, something about the way he slightly narrowed his eyebrows and led his hand uncomfortably to the back of his neck gave her the feeling that she hadn’t aimed _that_ far from the target with the question.

“Roughly”, he said, intense green eyes analyzing her. “Reyna is… Well, I guess we could say she’s like my cousin.”

Annabeth raised one eyebrow. “If you say so…”

He stepped away from the sink and put his left hand on the counter behind her, a few inches away from hers, leaning casually so that his chest was close enough to her arm that she could feel the static electricity between them.

“Why do you ask?”, when he talked, she noticed his voice was lower, and feeling his breath close to her ear sent shivers down her whole body. Still, she had yet a lot of unanswered questions she needed to ask, so she tried to keep it together.

“Just… curiosity. She didn’t seem so happy about meeting me”, she turned her face to meet his eyes.

“I promise, you have nothing to worry about.”

They stared at each other’s eyes for a moment, and she could feel the tension when she noticed his eyes drifting to her lips. Fighting the urge to step closer, she enlarged the space between their bodies and looked away.

“Okay, then”, she said, pausing and then pointing to the tattoo in his forearm. “So the tattoo’s a family thing?”

Again, he led his hand to the back of his neck, uncomfortably.

“Something like that”, he said, vaguely.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, and he sighed. She felt that anything he would say then would either be a lie or some other evasive answer that didn’t clarify much.

“Yeah, I guess you could say it’s a family thing, from my dad’s side.”

She nodded, deciding to drop the subject. She hadn’t gotten the answers she wanted, but she was afraid this might be a sensible topic and she didn’t want to make him more uncomfortable or mad.

“I like it”, she said. “It’s kind of weird, but in an attractive way.”

He smiled, but his gaze was distant. If she was sure they had a moment before, she was just as certain that it was gone now. She felt a hint of disappointment, along with some kind or urge to punch her daughter-of-Athena-prideful-face for spoiling it with her insistent search for knowledge.

“Anyway”, she broke the silence, “Are you going to tell me why you vanished last week?”

He looked at her again and she could she the worry and stress in his eyes, that were agitated like the ocean before a storm. She’d noticed sooner that he’d came back with a lot of extra weight on his shoulders and a scar on his left arm that seemed pretty recent. Their eyes met again as he answered her.

“I was gone for two days only. Missed me that much?”

“You’re way too cocky.”

“Am I?”, he intensified his gaze.

Annabeth didn’t say anything. The truth is she _had_ missed him, but she also didn’t know exactly what or how she felt about Percy. Sure, there was clearly some tension between them, and the flirting wasn’t exactly subtle. And, she couldn’t deny, sometimes, especially when he looked at her like that, she wanted to kiss him _so badly._ She felt drawn to him. But she was also alarmed. By the signals about his life she couldn’t quite understand, by the way he dodged from her questions when she asked about them, by the warning Artemis sent her.

She looked away. _Again_ , she couldn’t help but thinking.

“I had… A lot going on”, he said. “Some friends were having trouble and with the end of the semester coming, I had a lot of studying to do, also. Then, I guess I like almost passed out. From exhaustion or something.”

“I’m sorry. I hope everyone’s okay” she said, sincerely. Then, she smiled slightly, nudging him with her elbow. “That includes you. Don’t push yourself so hard.”

He gave her a thankful smile.

“Either way, I don’t think I’m the only one who stopped showing up”, he said, arching his eyebrows.

She blushed.

“I had a lot going on too. You know, midterms. And a friend came to visit. I guess we were both helping out our friends.”

They stood quiet for a moment. When he moved, it was to grab the keys for his car.

“I still want to hear about that project of yours. How was the presentation?”, he asked, with a smile.

That made the atmosphere lighten and she smiled, gathering up the courage to say what she was about to.

“Good. ‘Cause I wanna show it to you”, she turned and started walking toward the door. “How do you feel about ordering chinese?”

She heard his footsteps behind her stop for a moment and smiled to herself, reaching for the door. When she opened it, though, she was the one who stopped, as Nico di Angelo materialized from the shadows in front of her.

“Nico?”, she almost yelled. What in the name of Hades was Nico de Angelo doing there?

“Annabeth?”, she figured the confused look on his face reflected hers. Clearly, he wasn’t expecting to meet her there.

Then, Percy caught up on them. His reaction kept the tone of the greetings so far.

“Nico?”, he said, surprised.

Annabeth pulled herself together and turned to them, extremely confused.

“You two know each other?”, she asked.

Percy looked from her to Nico and back at her.

“Uh, _you two_ know each other?”

Nico seemed to recover from his shock and answered slowly. “I, uh... Annabeth, Percy is my, hm, cousin. Percy, Annabeth and I met… On summer camp. In New York.”

Annabeth turned to Percy. “You sure have a lot of cousins.”

Even in the dim light of the street, she could see him blushing,

“How did you too meet?”, Nico asked.

“At the coffee shop”, Annabeth said. “I live only a few blocks away.”

She still looked at Percy and Nico with her eyebrows furrowed, trying to understand the situation better. This thing about them being cousins, she didn’t buy it. Nico’s mother was from Italy, as far as she knew. Besides, if Percy’s family was supposed to somehow connect Reyna, Percy and Nico…

“Nico, I don’t mean to be rude, but… Why are you here?”, she asked.

“Well, I was hoping I could talk to Percy. Hm, alone.”

“I was going to give Annabeth a ride home”, Percy said, and she sensed that Nico’s arrival had bothered him. She wondered if there was something else or if it was only because it had interrupted their newly made plans. She doubted it. “You can come with us, and then we can talk.”

“I can walk home”, she said. “I don’t want to stand on your way.”

She was sure Percy would insist on taking her home, but before he could open his mouth, Nico did. “If you don’t mind.”

With that, she said a quick goodbye and turned around, walking quickly through the cold wind of the night.


	6. I call you out on your contrarian shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He raised his eyebrow. “A pretty girl like you, with no better plans for New Year?”
> 
> And there it was. The tension, the warm feeling in the bottom of her stomach and the red flush in her cheeks. By now, she thought she was used to the butterflies and shivers and insane will to pull his body closer when he said things like that and stared at her with those stupid green eyes. But every time it happened, she realized she still had a hard time keeping it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone!  
> happy new year!!  
> I hope you're all having a nice time :)  
> here's the next chapter, and as a gift for new year, it's... well, it happens on New Year's Eve.  
> I was hoping to post this yesterday, but I couldn't write it in time, so I'm here now.  
> there are still some things that I want to happen this same night, but I decided to leave them to the next chapter, so that I could post this today already.  
> anyway, hope you like it!  
> ah, and thank you so much for all the support. it makes me very happy to receive kudos and comments <3
> 
> ~gabi

_at dinner parties_

_**I call you out on your contrarian shit** _

_and the coastal town_

_we wandered 'round had never_

_seen a love as pure as it_

_and then it fades into the gray of my day old tea_

_‘cause you know it could never be_

Annabeth had never found Nico di Angelo’s habit of sneaking out and vanishing so annoying. Mysterious and kind of dark, sure. Maybe it even bothered her sometimes. But now, she was actually pissed at the guy. Since the day he showed up at Sally’s and tried to convince her that Percy was his cousin, she literally couldn’t get in touch with Nico anymore.

She’d tried Iris Messages, but he just would just make something up about being busy and dissolve the image. She’d bumped with him another day at the coffee shop and tried to talk to him, but, again, he made up some excuse about having stuff to do and ran away. He was clearly avoiding her, which only confirmed her suspicion that he was hiding something.

In that area, she was one to talk. Maybe she wasn’t hiding something directly, but she was avoiding someone. Percy, of course. After the Nico incident, she’d showed up at Sally’s only a couple of times. Percy asked her about it, when she stopped by on Christmas Eve, and she said she’d only been busy, but it wasn’t true. She was uncomfortable with the feeling that he was hiding something important, and she wasn’t dumb. Annabeth had her theories about Percy, but she still had a few pieces to fit into the puzzle before she could actually confront him about it. If she was wrong, it could end up incredibly bad.

That’s why she needed Nico’s help. But now, Christmas had come and gone, and the boy was nowhere to be found. Annabeth had decided to spend the holidays at San Francisco, mostly because she liked spending Christmas with her dad. He’d moved there right before she started high school, but she ended up going to boarding school in New York so she could be near Camp Half Blood. She and her dad weren’t that close, but they’d been working on their relationship for the past few years, and one of the reasons Annabeth had decided going to Berkeley was to stay closer to her family.

Now, she was standing at the front of the door at Sally’s, staring as if waiting for it to say something to her. The truth was she couldn’t bring herself to come in. She could see the dim light and hear the sound of the music and laughter inside. It was already 10:30 PM on New Year’s Eve, and she really should go in, but she failed at making herself move. “We’re having a small gathering for New Year’s Eve here. You should come, if you don’t have plans,” Percy had told her, a week ago. Of course, she didn’t. So, she came.

Someone behind her cleared their throat and brought her out of her trance.

“Um, excuse me,” said the girl, who had brown, curly hair and golden eyes. “Are you going inside?”

“Sorry,” Annabeth realized she must look very weird standing there. “I didn’t mean to get in the way. I’m going in, it’s just…” She trailed off, nervously.

“It’s fine,” the girl extended a hand. “I’m Hazel, by the way. Do you want some company to go inside? Parties are not the most comfortable environment for me either,” she smiled sympathetically.

Annabeth shook her hand. She recognized the name. As far as she remembered, this was one of Percy’s closest friends. “I guess we’ve got something in common. I’m Annabeth. I’m Percy’s…uh, friend.”

“Oh,” Hazel smirked, “Nice to finally put a face to the name.”

Then she took a step ahead and pushed the door, making room for Annabeth to pass and then going in after her. She couldn’t help but notice the tattoo on Hazel’s arm, the same as Percy’s and Reyna’s. That bothered her, but she intended to clear things up with Percy this night.

She thought about this as she followed Hazel through the place. A shiver came down her spine. One of the reasons she was so nervous about talking to Percy, besides the pieces missing in her theory, was a dream she’d had with her mother. Athena had sent her a message saying that she should be careful about some big secret about to be revealed. “Be wise”, she’d said, “somethings are meant to remain separated”. Annabeth had tried to talk to Chiron about this, and she’d even told him about Artemis’ warning as well, but he only gave her vague answers and said he couldn’t help.

This, of course, only made her want to understand it even more. So, if she couldn’t get help, she would figure it out by herself. She was a daughter of Athena, for the gods’ sake. She wouldn’t leave things unresolved. Suddenly, she was pulled back to reality by a familiar voice.

“You came!” Percy stood in front of them with a big smile and a cup of coke in his hand.

Hazel got closer and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Well, I hope I’m not invisible and you’re happy to see me as well”, she said, playfully.

He rolled his eyes and put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her by the side. Seeing them so comfortable together made Annabeth wonder… No, the atmosphere there was clearly fraternal, as if they’d been through a lot together and were so used to protecting and relying on each other that they didn’t even think much about it. “I meant both of you. But I _did_ see you this morning, so I hope it’s alright my happiness is slightly more directed towards Annabeth’s presence,” he said, and Hazel slapped him playfully in the arm.

She could feel herself blushing as their eyes met. “Oh, well… You should be honored, I turned down five different invitations to glamourous parties to be here,” she shrugged and noticed Hazel’s smile as she watched them with interest.

“So, I’m going to find Frank,” Hazel said and moved away from Percy. “Nice meeting you, Annabeth. I hope we get to talk more later.”

With that, she walked away and left her alone with Percy. Annabeth looked around the place carefully. It was the same, cozy coffee shop as always, but there were colorful lights and a few glittering decorations on the ceiling and around the tables. She spotted Sally and Paul holding Estelle and laughing as she played with her mom’s hair. Then, she saw two small groups of people she assumed would be Percy’s friends. She recognized Reyna talking to a bulky Asian guy who greeted Hazel with a quick kiss. Her boyfriend, Frank, she assumed. She hoped to see Nico around, but wasn’t surprised when she didn’t find him. This wasn’t really his scene.

“So,” Percy took a step closer and grinned. “Mind to tell me what makes me so especial that the oh-so-required Annabeth Chase chose to come to my insignificant New Year’s Eve party?”

She laughed. “You wish, Seaweed Brain,” she bit her lip. “Honestly, I was a little nervous about coming tonight, since I don’t really know anyone. But it was really my best option.”

He raised his eyebrow. “A pretty girl like you, with no better plans for New Year?”

And there it was. The tension, the warm feeling in the bottom of her stomach and the red flush in her cheeks. By now, she thought she was used to the butterflies and shivers and insane will to pull his body closer when he said things like that and stared at her with those stupid green eyes. But every time it happened, she realized she still had a hard time keeping it together.

“Oh, well. Maybe I did have a whole lot of possibilities and chose to come here for a special someone…” She put a hand on his shoulder and got closer, as if she was about to tell him a secret.

“Yeah?” he asked. His breath was uneven.

She got close enough so that her mouth was nearly touching his ear. “Yeah… Estelle.”

Smiling, she stepped in front of her and left him behind her, starting to walk towards his family. Then, she heard him laughing slightly as he held her arm and lowered his head, so that, when he spoke, it was her turn to feel his breath in her ear.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” he said, walking in front of her and turning after a couple steps. “C’mon. Let me introduce you to my friends.”


	7. slow motion double vision in rose blush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Maybe I do, just a little bit,” she muttered.
> 
> They were really close now. He played with some loosen curls from her hair. Their eyes met. She took a deep breath and decided there was no easy way of doing what she needed to. When she talked, her voice was serious and somehow a little daring. “You’re a demigod, aren’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so  
> I'm back haha  
> like I said, this chapter and the previous really should be the same. they're really attached, this one like ends up the other.  
> either way, I hope you like it, even though I'm a bit late for New Year.  
> see ya!
> 
> ~gabi

_'cause I don't like a gold rush, gold rush_

_I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush_

_I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch_

_everybody wants you_

_everybody wonders what it would be like to love you_

_walk past, quick brush_

_I don't like **slow motion double vision in rose blush**_

_I don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush_

_everybody wants you_

_but I don't like a gold rush_

As midnight approached, Annabeth’s urge to talk to Percy was increasingly unavoidable. She was glad she’d come. As always, Sally and Paul were unbelievably kind, and she’d spent a long time talking to them and playing with little Estelle. Percy’s friends were nice as well, but whenever she was around, she felt they were restraining themselves from saying stuff or struggling to change and hide details from their stories.

She was particularly glad that Hazel was there. She kept her company, and it was easy talking to her. They understood each other well, and after a few minutes, she had a feeling they could be good friends if given the opportunity. Frank was also incredibly sweet, but seemed a bit nervous around her, which sometimes stood in the way of a good conversation. She still had mixed feelings about Reyna, though. Annabeth was under the impression that both of them were very similar in some ways, but Reyna clearly had her guard up, like she was still making up her mind about wether Annabeth was an enemy or a friend.

Percy wouldn’t stop glancing at her, no matter where he was, but they hadn’t had much time to talk alone. She could see his friends admired and sought him for help and resolutions, somehow. He balanced it with the usual charm and stupid jokes, but it was clear that he was in some way a leader for the group. Even though he tried to diminish or hide it somehow, she sensed that deep down he was comfortable with the position.

After having the weirdest conversation with Frank about Chinese handcuffs, she’d excused herself and went to grab a drink. She was now sipping a glass of sparkling water and observing the scene around her. She needed a breath. Socializing was nice, but it also took a lot of energy from her.

She looked at her clock and sighed. 11:42 PM. If she wanted to talk to Percy, she had to do it soon. But… where was he? She looked around but couldn’t find him, which was strange, since-

“Hi,” his voice suddenly showed up behind her and she almost jumped. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, as she turned around.

“It’s okay,” she met his eyes, “you didn’t.”

He smiled. “So, is everything alright?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” she said, putting her glass on the counter. “I’m having a good time. Really, I’m glad I came. Otherwise, I’d be sitting at my dad’s couch watching TV, waiting for the ball to drop in New York.”

“I’m glad you came, too.” His voice was soft, and he stared at her intently.

“I was hoping we could talk,” she blurted out, ripping the words out of her as if taking a band-aid off. “You know… alone.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe we could take a walk?”

“Sure.”

They grabbed their coats, and she wrapped her arms around her when he opened the door, feeling the cold wind coming from outside. They went down the street side by side, walking in silence for a few moments. He had his hands in his pockets when he finally turned his head towards her. “So… You never really told me why you didn’t go back to New York for the holidays.”

She stared at the pavement. “Oh, I frequently spend Christmas here, with my dad. You know, he lives in San Francisco since I started high school.”

“Your mom doesn’t mind? You know, being alone at Christmas and everything.”

“Hm, I think she’s fine,” she couldn’t help but smiling. “I don’t think Christmas is such a big deal for her, and either way, she’s got a bunch of… uh, relatives.”

He nodded. “Well, like I said, I’m really glad you stayed.”

She stopped walking and he followed her, turning to face her in the sidewalk. “What about your dad? Do you ever spend Christmas with him?”

He stirred uncomfortably and looked away.

“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry if that’s a sensible topic, I don’t really know what happened to him and-”

“It’s fine,” he interrupted her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “He’s, um, busy. I never _really_ met him, you know? He sends help and stuff sometimes, but, yeah, it’s my mom who’s always around.”

“Oh. I get it. Either way, it’s clear that Sally loves you a lot. She seems like a good mom,” she wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to this subject, but the information only fortified her theory about who and what Percy actually was, and she thought about how she would start _that_ conversation with him.

“She is,” he said, with a warm smile. “I owe her everything.”

“Well, she did a good job. Raising you, I mean. I’m sure the cockiness and doubtful sense of humor are not her fault,” she joked.

“You know you like my cockiness and awesome sense of humor.”

They stood quiet for a few moments and a stronger wind messed up her hair and threw a few curls in front of her eyes. Before she could touch them, Percy got closer and led his hand to her face, taking her hair and putting in behind her ear. She blushed.

“Maybe I do, just a little bit,” she muttered.

They were really close now. He played with some loosen curls from her hair. Their eyes met. She took a deep breath and decided there was no easy way of doing what she needed to. When she talked, her voice was serious and somehow a little daring. “You’re a demigod, aren’t you?”

She didn’t have time to register his confused expression, because something behind him stole her attention. In a split-second, she had her knife out and pushed Percy to the side the minute one hellhound came out of the shadows and jumped at his back. She stabbed it straightly in the chest and turned to her side to see Percy drawing a sword no longer needed.

As she breathed heavily, yellow dust falling around her, their eyes met once again. And then, the fireworks started. She looked at her clock. It was midnight. She took a step closer.

“Shit,” he gasped.

She smirked. “Happy New Year,” but she couldn’t end the sentence, since one of his hands pulled her by her waist and the other held her neck and she couldn’t even register the dark green in his eyes, because suddenly they were kissing, and she could only think about the salty taste of his lips and the feeling of his body against hers and-

He pulled away, breathing heavily. “Happy New Year.”


	8. my mind turns your life into folklore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We need to talk, Percy," she whispered. 
> 
> But when he finally kissed her lips, everything vanished from her head and all that mattered was keeping his mouth on hers for the most time possible. Unfortunately, he pulled away too soon, yet gave her no time to feel disappointed before going back to kissing the crook of her neck, her shoulder and the skin under her ear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!  
> I'm sorry it took me so long to come back.  
> I came back to work as soon as the holidays ended, and since then it's been chaos.  
> I had literally zero time or energy to write for the last days.  
> either way, this chapter is a little longer and I hope you like it!  
> the story is almost coming to an end.  
> once again, thank you so much for all your support <3
> 
> ~gabi

_what must it be like  
to grow up that beautiful?  
with your hair falling into place like dominoes  
 **my mind turns your life into folklore**  
I can't dare to dream about you anymore_

Of course, Annabeth stayed to help with the cleaning. Just as obvious, she wasn’t the only one who did. Sally and Paul went back home early, mostly because of Estelle. Then, around 1:30AM, all of Percy’s friends, except from Frank and Hazel, had headed home.

By this time, Hazel was almost falling asleep while standing and Percy was basically begging for them to leave. Annabeth wouldn’t lie, she was kind of wishing the two of them weren’t that helpful too.

She wanted to be alone with Percy. They had a lot to talk about, something they hadn’t gotten the chance to do earlier. Not that they hadn’t had the time they were just busy.

Just the thought of Percy’s lips on hers and his hands on her body and his hair through her fingers sent a shiver all through her body. Kissing him was... something else. She had never felt anything like that before. It was like nothing else in the world mattered apart from the feeling of their bodies touching. Even breathing seamed irrelevant for her head when they were kissing. 

She could have stayed there in the sidewalk forever, leaning over Percy and pressing him slightly  against the wall of whichever building was standing behind him, feeling the warmth of his mouth. But they were interrupted very disturbed, very  r ed Frank.

“I, uh. Um, Percy, your mom is looking for you,” he’d said.

So, they'd come back inside, and then it was all the "Happy New  Years " and cheering and hugging and  toasting and... Yeah, they hadn't had the opportunity to talk. 

Finally, Hazel's sleepiness won and  she gave Percy a long hug before heading out with her boyfriend, Percy closing and locking the door peacefully behind him. Annabeth was leaning against the counter recklessly  when he turned around and met her eyes, steadily.

"So... I guess you never thanked me for saving your life," she said,  somewhat defiantly.

He raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I guess I didn't ."

Annabeth pulled herself up to sit on the counter and reflected  his expression, as he got closer with a few steps.

"You wouldn't want to make Sally disappointed with your bad manners ," she replied.

"No, I would not," he finally reached her and, just as he'd done earlier, grabbed a lock of her hair and put it behind her ear. He let his hand fall slowly, brushing deli cately through her shoulder and down her arm, until he held her hand, steadily. "Thank you for saving my  life earlier."

She shivered by his touch, his proximity and the low whisper his voice came in.

"Anytime," she answered.

There was a quick silence before he spoke again. "You're a demigod."

"Well, I guess we both are," she said.

He stared at her for a second, in pure amusement. Then it was like the engines in his brain started to move, bringing in all his questions and c onfusion about the situation.

"Yeah, but how- Where..." he trailed off, meeting her eyes  again , trying to transmit his thoughts and feelings.

She sighed. "I've been asking myself that same question s .  Can you show me your arm?" He frowned, but raised his arm to her. "The other arm, Seaweed Brain. The one with the tattoo."

"Oh."

He set his forearm on her thighs and she trailed her fingers ligh tly through the patterns on his skin.  "The trident... You're a son of Poseidon, aren't you?

"Neptune, actually. But I guess it's not  _ wrong _ if you call him like that."

If her mind wasn't working a hundred miles per minute, she would've been pissed at that comment. Or, at least, confused.

"SPQR," she said, revelation starting to hit her. "That stands for-"

"Senatus Populus Que Romanus ," he completed her, his voice overlapping hers as she whispered the words. "What?"

He stared at her, confused, as she gasped and put her hand over her mouth, leaning backwards. 

"Oh shit. Holy Athena, this can't be-"

"Wait- What the fuck i s happening?"

Annabeth put her hands on Percy's shoulders, as something steading to both, her shock and his confusion.

"Percy... I'm a daughter of Athena. The Greek goddess of wisdom and warcraft."

"You mean Minerva? But that's not-"

"No. I mean Athena. The  _ Greek _ goddess."

He kept staring at her, confusion taking over his face, util something seemed to click inside his head and his mouth opened up. He  took a step back and kept his hands away from her, almost in... disgust?

She could feel her heart drop to the ground with the gesture. Her head followed it, turning to the ground.

"You're a  _ graecus _ _ ,"  _ he said. She didn't answer. "Shit. I knew the legends but I never thought... I don't understand. After  Rome conquered Greece, I thought the gods had changed and  assumed our habits and new personalities."

"I always thought they'd  never changed, really. And, after  _ Rome _ fell, they just migrated to the next great center of west civilization.  They exist in their  Greek form. I  _ know _ them like that."

"Well, I know they exist in their Roman form as well."

They looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"There's a camp," he said, finally. "Well, actually, it's more than that. It's a community, really.  We- We follow the old ways. We fight in the Legion and we worship the gods and respect their wishes and traditions."

She studied him before answering. "There's a camp for us too. It's mostly a training place. But, for me, it's also family."

He nodded.

"So," he cleared his throat. "How is it- Um, how can you be a daughter of Miner- Of Athena?"

"What do you mean  _ how _ ?"

" Well , isn't she supposed to be a... maiden goddess or whatever?"

"Oh. I supposed," she blushed. "But that's not... Let's just say things happen differently for children of Athena. You don't know any children of Minerva?"

He shook his head, negatively. "They don't exist, really. It's even kind of- Uh, offensive, thinking about it ."

Yeah. Now she was sure he was disgusted by her. She really didn't know what to think exactly. There were a lot of unanswered questions in her head. She needed to talk to C hiron. She needed to understand what this all was about. She was really confused. But still, the thought of Percy  finding her repulsive or hesitating about touching him brought tears to her eyes. She blinked to hold them back.

She jumped to the ground and forced herself to look at him.

"Can you take me home? I wouldn't ask, but it's late and..." she tried to pass by his side and reach her coat near the door, but he stopped her, grabbing her wrist and  turning to face her.

"Annabeth," he whispered. "I really don't know exactly what all of this is about, and I don't know how we're  going to solve it.  There are people I need to talk and things I need to figure out to  understand the situation. But I'm not ready to give up on you only because maybe we stood on opposite sides of history."

"I need to understand this, Percy," she looked up at him, eyes shining with te ars. He still held her wrist, and brought his other hand u p to brush his thumb through her cheekbone, where a tear had rolled down without her even noticing. "I feel there's more to it then we wonder. I t hink we're supposed to be rivals."

"We're also supposed  to be dead," he replied, removing his hand from her face and putting it in her lower back, slowly pulling her closer, until their bodies were together. He kept pressing her to him and lowered his head to place soft kisses down her neck.

"I thought my existence disturbed you," she said, biting her lip.

He raised his head to look at her. "I just needed some time to take it in . But I believe you when you say it's different."

He leaned into her to place a kiss on her forehead, then another on her nose, following down to her cheek and the corner of her mouth.

"We need to talk, Percy," she whispered. 

But when he finally kissed her lips, everything vanished from her head and all that mattered was keeping his  mouth on hers for the most time possible.  Unfortunately, he pulled away too soon, yet gave her no time to feel disappointed before going  back to kissing the crook of her neck, her shoulder and the skin under her ear.

"I know we do," the feeling of his breath so close sent shivers down her spine. "But maybe we can ta lk tomorrow."

They kissed again, and Annabeth thought her brain might melt down.

"Hm," she hummed, between kisses. "You're right. Take me home. We can talk tomorrow morning."

**Author's Note:**

> so, that's it for now!
> 
> please leave comments and feedback about it.
> 
> also, if there's some grammar errors, let me know, cause I'm not a native English speaker!
> 
> see you soon, hopefully!


End file.
